THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving this year was with my mom and siblings.  This year we also had some of my aunts and cousins.  It was really fun to have them with us too.  I didn't do well taking pictures of everyone.  I wish I would have gotten everyone.  

This was the black Friday study table. 

My mom covered the kids tables with butcher paper so they could draw.  This was a really fun idea.  This was the Thankful Table.  where we drew a picture of something we are thankful for.  We also had a Turkey Table.  I had them each trace their hand and then color it as a turkey.  It was so cute.

 Everyone brought something to share.  It was delicious!!!

This year we had our first talent show.  It was adorable. 

 Sophie, Amberly and Emily sang for us with Omi's karaoke machine.

Reagan does this belly roll and Oakley had to do it with her.  It was hilarious!

Juli and her kids did an Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song.  It was so cute and funny.  She asked them if they were all ready calling them by name and when she got to Afton she kept calling her name and then yelled "AFTON!!!"  Like he does in the show with Alvin.  It was really funny.

 Our family did True Colors.  Katelin's choice.  Burke played the guitar for us.

 Oakley kept coming up while I was announcing people and saying that it was her turn.  She sang and coughed Twinkle Twinkle Little Star for us.  SO CUTE!

 Juli sang a song she made up and Robyn sang also.  It's always nice to hear their voices.  Wish Tiff would have been able to do one also!  I didn't get a picture of Robyn because I was holding the microphone for her.

It was a great Thanksgiving!  I LOVE my family and that we could be together for this fun holiday.  Later I went on my first Black Friday Extravaganza!  I went with Tiffany and her clan.  Burke dropped my off and picked me up so I didn't have to worry about that.  He also came to my rescue and stood in line for me when I was at my end.  He is so good to me.  Then he went back the next morning and got all that I didn't get!  So that was AWESOME!  I'm excited about it all!  :)

35 and still ALIVE!!!

Hahaha!  I made it to 35, pretty amazing, right?!!!  That number just keeps going up, but I am still the same person.  Weird how that happens.  I have realized each year that it is just a number and I actually enjoy watching it rise.  It's FUN!!!  :)

Burke took my picture for me.  I thought I needed one, since I don't really have a picture of just myself.  So check that off the list!  Here I am at 35.

 The night before my birthday the kids banished me to my room at about 7:00 so that they could get things ready for the big day.  When I woke up I was so happy to find all of these all over the table.

Burke made these origami dollars and put them on my card from him.  SO CUTE!  I loved them all!

 
When I went out to the car these balloons were tied to the door and this HUGE poster laying next to the car.  The girls and I just started laughing.  It was such a fun surprise!  My friend Taffee put it there for me - she is pretty sneaky.  I usually see if someone pulls up, but I didn't - AMAZING!  That is the biggest card I have ever received from anyone.  Put that on record!  Hahaha!  I have such great friends who spoiled me with cute little gifts and singing.  So much fun!

 When we got to my moms later that day she had this on the table for me.  Mmmmmm.  And some cute canisters.  THANKS MOM!  She was always good at making birthdays special and still is.

Projects as of late...

Found this sweet frame at our thrift store.  I did a sloppy coat of red, then sloppy coat of black, sanded a bit and stained.  The burlap is stapled on the back and then you can hang earrings on it, or not.  :)  Found this idea on Pinterest.  Gift for my sis Tiff's b-day.

 This one was for my VT comp, Kay's birthday.  She's been a member for about a year now and is super amazing!  I really love going visiting with her.  She has such excitement for the gospel, I love it!

 For sister Robyn's b-day.  I took this pic of her family last year - I really love this one.

 And then I decided to make one for me to decorate for Thanksgiving.

Anyway, simple, but really fun projects.

Pre-school

One day for pre-school, when it was my turn, I did the letter N.  For one of our activities we gathered twigs and leaves and sat on the lawn and made nests.  The kids really got into making them and hoped that the birds would come and live in them.

I really loved this one of Samantha's.  She made an actual house shaped "nest" for her bird.

Thoughts

I was able to teach in Seminary  couple of days this week and it was great as usual.  I love studying what they are learning at the time and sharing it with them and hearing what they have to say.  It really is a fun thing to do. I've been wanting to write down some fun things we did and learned so that I wouldn't forget them, because I will.  :)  We talked about the 10 plagues.  There was a paragraph in the Student Manual that talked about how much mercy the Lord showed to Pharaoh and that His desire is to have us each come to Him.  He could have just wiped them out, but he didn't.  He gave him chance after chance.  Before each plague he told Moses to tell him to let His people go so that they may serve Him.  And each time, it says Pharaoh hardened his heart.  But He still tried.  The Egiptians believed in many different Gods and they were over different things in nature.  We talked about how there Gods weren't there to help them out when these plagues came.  The Lord continued to tell them that HE was the one they should serve, HE would help them.  This was the main message of the plagues.  There was an idea for me to write something really small on paper (I wrote it on the white board - I wrote: you are awesome) and talk about what a magnifying glass does.  BUT what if there was nothing written on the board, would the magnifying glass be of any help?  No.  There was nothing there to magnify.  Then I read them this:  The writing on the paper, no matter how small, represents our faith, and the magnifying glass represents a miracle or a sign.  Just as a magnifying glass will increase the size of the writing, miracles can increase faith.  However, miracles do not create faith any more than the magnifying glass creates the writing.  We talked about that a bit and that that was why all of these miracles didn't change Pharaoh, he didn't have any "writing on the board" or faith.  I sure loved this lesson to remember to let myself see even the little miracles in life and enjoy each one and to always listen to the Lord that my faith may be "magnified".  :)

PIE!

I forgot to post this picture with my last post.  Burke made this Cherry pie and a Banana Cream pie for my dads Thanksgiving feast.  It deserves a post all on its own though.  Isn't it beautiful!??!!!!  I love that he loves to bake stuff.  YUM!

Thanksgiving at G'ma & G'pa Ottley's

Oh boy, I love THANKSGIVING dinner!  We all brought something to add to it.  It was really, really good.  I'm excited to do it all again with my mom and everyone on the real Thanksgiving day!  YuM!

Here are the cute turkey's the kids made after they ate.

Cousin fun

We went to my  moms on Friday and it was the day everyone that can comes for dinner.  What a party!  I didn't take any pictures but these:

 The kids had found Omi's dress up jackets in a room down stairs and decided to dress up and be cool/bad guys.  I love all of the poses!  They are so much fun!!!

Dads and Donuts

The kids are always super excited for this day.  Dad gets to go to work late, take them to school, eat donuts with them and read books.  So. Much. FUN!  He sure is a great dad, love that guy!  :)

Princess time...

 The girls dressed up the other day after church and Katelin was changed to a proper little princess.  It was so cute.  She walked very slowly and Kaiya kept swooping her hair over to the side.  Then she wanted to do her nails.  It was really adorable to watch.

Then this cute guy came to watch what was going on.

Oh, NO!  That's what happens when you paint nails and your 7.  :)